Attaching device for chair backs



Mmh 10,1953 R, COHEN 2,630,857

ATTACHING DEVICE FOR CHAIR BACKS Filed Feb. 3, 1951 INVENTOR. fZZa/v aaCEfi/zeiz Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHINGDEVICE FOR CHAIR BACKS Morton R. Cohen, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 3, 1951, Serial No. 209,271

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to chrome style chairs, and more particularly tothe upright tubular stems rising from the rear thereof to which the backof the chair is attached, and one object of the present invention is toprovide an eflicient device for attaching the chair back to the stemsreferred to by simple manual effort.

A further object is to provide an attaching device of the abovecharacter which requires no tools of any kind for its operation.

Another object is to design the novel attaching device along lines ofrigidity and simplicity.

With the above objects in view and any others which may suggestthemselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of theinvention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which-Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typical chrome style chair showing itsback mounted by means of the novel attaching device;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the showing, showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a magnified section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, sections taken on the lines 4-4 and 55of Fig. 3.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawingindicates the seat for the chair at I0, and the tubular stems rising inback of the same at I l. The chair back is a board I2 of substantiallyrectangular form and concaved in the center; and it may be upholsteredor covered in any suitable manner.

For the purposes of the present invention, the back I2 is bored from thebottom at laterallyspaced points corresponding with the positions of thechair stems I I, such bores being of a depth and diameter to snuglyreceive the upper portions of the stems as indicated in Fig. 3. Thebores are numbered I5, and they are continued in upward directions withbores I6 of a considerably smaller diameter.

The chair back I2 is designed to receive a unit in its bores I5 and I6which facilitates the attachment of the back to the chair stems I I whenthe latter are received in the bores I5 as previously described. Theunit referred to is primarily in the form of a solid metallic disc I8 ofa diameter to make a snug fit in the bore I5. A long plug 20 projectsfrom one end of the disc, while a similar but shorter stem 2! projectsfrom the other end thereof The plug 20 is formed with a series oflongitudinally spaced annular ribs 23, while the stem ZI is smooth tothe extent of its outer end portion to which is welded or otherwiseattached a concavo-convex circular plate 2 24, the stem 2| beingdirected into the hollow of the plate. The latter is formed with anannular series of scallops 25 which are beveled from the outer side ofthe plate to present sharp edges 26.

The plugs 20 and their ribs 23 are of a diameter to make a driving fitinto the back bores l6, such fit being completed when the discs I8 meetthe inner ends of the bores I5. The stems 2| and their bottom plates 24now depend into the bores I 5; and such stems and bottom plates serve asattaching devices when applied to the chair stems II.

The mounting of the chair back on the stems II is effected by simplypressing it down to receive the stems in the bores I5. As the stems risein the bores they encounter and slightly flex the scallops 25 of theplate 24 in an inward direction, the perimeter of the scallops being ofa very slightly greater diameter than the bore of the stems. When thestems II have entered the chair back to a point where they meet the discI8 the attachment of the chair back is completed. Such attachment notonly comprises the frictional fit of the chair back with the chair stemsI I, but also the engagement of the scallops 25 with the stem walls in amanner to resist tendencies for the back to separate from the stems. Itis understood that such tendencies will operate to unflex or expand theplate 24, which action will cause its scallops 25 to bury their edgesfirmly in the walls of the stems II, so that in this manner tendenciesto withdraw the chair back in case it loosens on the stems I I will bepositively resisted.

It will now be apparent that the novel attaching device is of a natureto exert a strong grip on the stems of the chair once it has beeninstalled in the chair back and the latter operated as described. Theconstruction of the attachment is not only massive, but also of a natureto become tightly embedded in the stock of the chair back, so that toall intents and purposes the attachment forms a part of the same. Thechair back is therefore ready at any time for application to the stems II; and this may be done by any person by simply mounting the back overthe tems as previously described and pushing down until the limit ofassembly is reached. Now the chair and its back are rigidly assembled asif made in one piece. Yet, packing and shipping of the chair before itsassembly is facilitated by having the back made separately, thiscircumstance enabling the chair to be packed in a much smaller carton orcontainer than if the back were assembled with the chair at the factory.Obviously, space and container costs are cut down; and economy is alsoeffected in shipping. When the chair is unpacked at the store or otherplace of destination it is an easy matter for the back to be mountedwithout the use of any tools or extra parts, thus expediting theassembly of the chair, The invention thus comprises a highly efiicientdevelopment from the viewpoints of packing and shipping economy, timesaving and durability.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minorchanges or refinements may be made therein without departing from itsprinciple, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes andrefinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a chair having a pair of upwardly projected tubular stems and aback designed for application to the same, upward bores in the bottom ofsaid back in registration with said stems and adapted to receive thesame on the application and depression of the back, and units carried bythe latter and formed with elements which enter and secure frictionalengagement with the walls of said stems on said depression, said backhaving bores continued from the original ones and of a lessercross-section, a plug rising from each of said units and driven tightlyinto the related continuation bore of said back to secure a support forthe unit therein, and an enlargement between each unit and its plugserving as a stop for the driving thereof when meeting the end of therelated original bore, said enlargement also serving as an abutment forthe upper end of the related stem.

2. The structure of claim 1, said enlargement being a transverse discseating the upper ends of said stems.

MORTON R. COHEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,083,697 Neptune Jan. 6, 19141,659,572 Klemm Feb. 21, 1928 1,734,340 Overton Nov. 5, 1929 1,813,072Murdock July 7, 1931 1,817,775 Sipe Aug. 4, 1931 1,871,668 Dawson Aug.16, 1932 1,880,133 Hassensall Sept. 27, 1932 2,306,878 Greitzer Dec. 29,1942 2,525,126 Greitzer Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 524,194 France May 9, 1921

